Inglenook, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, California, 1965

Vault Wine: This wine is stored in our vault.

Overview of the Wine
In 1879, Finnish explorer and adventurer Gustave Niebaum searched the Napa Valley with the goal of establishing a wine estate to rival the finest chateau of France. For decades his wines won acclaim and remain some of the most admired in American wine history's classic period. By the mid-1960's, his property was divided, and estate-wine production ceased.

Inglenook covers approximately 1,700 contiguous acres with nearly 235 acres dedicated to vineyards. The variations in the Estate's topography reflect the great diversity of Napa Valley itself–-from the loamy, well-drained soils at its rear to an expanse of vineyards with deeper, but finer soils located in front of the Chateau–-and contribute to the singularity of Inglenook's terroir, a complex term incorporating the natural growing conditions of the specific site as well as the winemaker's signature––with some ineffable quality arising from the two–-which distinguish the wine's personality as unique.

Grape / Blend
Cabernet Sauvignon blended with Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Merlot, and Malbec

Origin
Rutherford, Napa Valley, California

Winemaker Tasting Notes
If Captain Niebaum was partially responsible for introducing Cabernet Sauvignon to Napa Valley, then John Daniel Jr. was responsible for carrying on his granduncle's tradition of excellence and finessing that varietal to revered status. In honor of Daniel's Cask Wines program that he began in 1949, our estate-bottled vintages from 1995 through 2008 of this grape variety were originally called Cask and bore oak veneer labels.

Wine Spectator
For most wine lovers, the Inglenook that thrived under the leadership of visionary owner John Daniel Jr. is a distant and fading memory, if it registers at all. The man who dedicated his life to uncommonly high winemaking standards died years ago, broken, bitter and disillusioned after financial hard times forced him to sell this Napa Valley treasure. But those who have had the opportunity to taste Daniel's Inglenook Cabernets know that they are among the greatest red wines ever made. The string of magnificent vintages made by Daniel and his stern and exacting winemaker, George Deuer, began in the 1930s with the repeal of Prohibition and ended in the 1960s with his sale of the winery. Despite efforts to revive the winery and restore its reputation after Daniel's death in 1970, none of the wines made after 1964 measure up to the Daniel-era classics. A last-ditch attempt in the 1980s to restore Inglenook's name and reputation resulted in superior quality wines. 

Product size: 750ml